US3341954A

US3341954A - Press cover assembly

Info

Publication number: US3341954A
Application number: US580352A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harvey L Davis; Roy M Schultz; Arvid B Anderson
Original assignee: Bishop Freeman Co
Current assignee: Bishop Freeman Co
Priority date: 1966-09-19
Filing date: 1966-09-19
Publication date: 1967-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-19

Description

Sept. 19, 1967 H. DAV|S ET Al.

PRESS COVER ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 19, 1966 L. Davis 0%@ fave/2 Z671;

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United States Patent 3,341,954 PRESS COVER ASSEMBLY Harvey L. Davis, Highland Fark, Roy M. Schultz, Chicago, and Arvid B. Anderson, Park Ridge, lll., assignors to Bishop Freeman Co., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 580,352 6 Claims. (Cl. 38-66) This invention relates to a cushioned press cover for garment steaming and pressing equipment and, more particularly, is concerned with a cushioned plate assembly for use with the press head of such equipment.

The garment pressing and steaming art has long employed rigid press plate arrangements, with special purpose cushioned plates more recently coming into vogue, for example, see Freeman Patent No. 2,814,135. Certain objectionable aspects of the rigid plate equipment have long been recognized in that certain materials when pressed with such equipment sometimes exhibit a hard and shiny finish. In addition, projections such as buttons, seams and zippers prevent a full surfaced pressing action. rI`he special purpose plates eliminate some of these problems but do not provide proper protection to the user and to garments that are subject to spotting. When used on a press head, the special purpose structures have not had as long a life and are not as long wearing as is desired.

The present invention discloses a cushioned press cover for the head or buck of a press, and constructed of laminar form wherein each of the various layers serves a special function and the layers cooperatively act to impart a soft and safe shineless finish with all types of fabrics and garments while also minimizing impressions or marks which would otherwise be left due to the presence in the garment of buttons, seams and zippers. The layers of the assembly retain their properties individually and collectively to provide long lasting performance. The cushioning action of the multilayer assembly protects the garment and where used in conjunction with a liner plate as part of a press head assembly, the cushioning action also protects the liner plate to promote plate life.

In the disclosed embodiment relating to a press head assembly, a metal steam diffuser or liner plate serves as a carrier frame to receive a plurality of layers of special purpose flexible sheet materials which collectively are suitably porous to steam passage, which collectively cushion mechanical stresses while accommodating surface irregularities and projections and which collectively thermally insulate the exterior contact face. The multilayer sheet assembly includes, in addition to the steam ditlusor, an inner layer of `an asbestos fabric, an intermediate cushion layer of flannel sheeting and an outer cover layer of a non-stretchable filament fabric.

The steam dillusor in at least one of the embodiments illustrated is provided with a rearwardly directed peripheral flange and at least some of the flexible layers are return folded about the flange to present a cool fabric rim that never burns hands and that also aids plate life. The securement of the fabric rim to the liner flange is permanent and effective as there is no requirement for disassembly of these layers during the useful life of the press cover assembly.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which s-how structure embodying preferred features of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply t-hese principles.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the 3,34Li Patented Sept. 19, 1967` lCe specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

FiG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment steaming and pressing machine of the type to which the invention is directed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken as indicated on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating one embodiment of a press cover assembly constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 3 is a related sectional View illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a related sectional view illustrating still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary face view of the layers shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.

Referring now to the drawings, a conventional type of steaming and pressing machine is illustrated in FIG. 1 as including a support 1Q mounting a padded buck 11 such as is adapted to have garments pressed thereon by means of a hingedly mounted press head assembly 13 which may be swung downwardly to engage garments placed on the buck. Hot steam is fed to the head 13 to emerge through its contact face as the head is brought into pressing engagement upon the buck. The illustrated press head assembly incorporates a conventional press head and includes a removable press cover assembly which is constructed in accordance with this invention.

Three embodiments of the press cover assembly are s-hown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. In each of the illustrated embodiments, the press cover ,assembly is embodied as a press plate assembly and includes a diffuser or liner plate 14 of the general type illustrated in Freeman Patent No. 2,880,529 except in the present instance, the liner plate has the plurality of multidirectionally oriented arches 14A projected inwardly towards the head rather than outwardly so that the openings through the arches begin at a point inwardly of the main plane of the liner plate. The liner plate is also illustrated with a rearwardly or inwardly extending peripheral flange 14F providing for anchorage of the multilayer padding that spans the front face of the liner plate and has sheet margins extending along the plate flange.

The multilayer assembly also comprises an inner layer 15 of asbestos cloth, a compressible but resilient cushion layer 16 such as a flannel-like material that may typically be about 1A; inch thick and a cover layer 17 to serve as a wear-resistant contact face. The asbestos inner layer 15 provides thermal insulation between t-he metal liner plate and the exterior and it is disposed in loose, that is, not adhered, relation to t-he major surface of plate 14 and lies substantially ush thereagainst. The cushion layer 16 in the embodiments illustrated is a nonwoven nylon flannel having an outer face of napped nylon and having a nylon knit inner face adjacent the layer of asbestos cloth. In the embodiments illustrated, the napped nylon is drawn from the filaments of the knit portion of the fabric to provide a unitary flannel sheet material. Finally, the cover layer 17 is of a nylon filament cloth fabric to provide long Wear for t-he contact face.

With this construction, each of the layers is suitably porous to enable the composite to provide the desired throughput of steam. The asbestos inner layer 15 is of a more open weave and its association with the pocket recesses 14A defined at each arch is such that the diffused flow of steam through the liner plate and through the inner layer is facilitated. The asbestos layer serves the important function of accommodating the high temperatures developing at the liner plate and preventing contact of the liner plate with the outer layers, thereby preserving these layers against deterioration. The knit backing on the cushion layer 16 presents a multiplicity of interstices for steam flow, thereby aiding in diffusing the steam passing through the coarser weave of the asbestos layer 15. The steam migrates through the cushion layer and emerges from its napped face finally to exit through the closer weave of the outer cover layer 17. The knit inner face of the cushion layer 16 is itself stretchable to enhance the conformability required for the cushion layer to distort and embrace snugly about projections encountered bythe press plate assembly.

In this connection, the woven outer cover layer 17 accommodates the requisite contour changes of the cushion layer and allows such local distortion as is necessary for snugly embracing projections such as buttons and zippers. The napped face of the flannel cushion gives a spongy action to insure conformity of the cushion layer. This napped face is continuously protected from abrasion by the lubric nature of the nylon outer cover layer 17 which also serves well to assure enduring wear-resistance.

Thus, it may be seen that each of the

multilayer sheets

14, 15, 16, 17 provides a specialized function but in addition, each sheet cooperates with the remainder to supplement and promote the individual functions and thereby provide a press plate having enhanced properties in that it is enabled to impart a soft and safe shineless finish with all types of fabrics and garments while minimizing impressions due to projections and while maintaining the life of the individual layers and of the liner plate itself.

As seen in the drawings, the press head detiines a surface which may be characterized as concave. The surface generally conforms to the surface generated by the surface of a cylinder. To enhance the conformability of the plurality of layers of the press cover assembly to the contour of the press head and liner 14, when the layers are assembled they may be tensioned longitudinally at the major axis ofthe press head.

ln the embodiment of FIG. 2, the marginal edges R and 17R of the

layers

15 and 17 are return folded about the liner flange 141: to provide a composite metal and fabric flange which presents an external fabric rim that cannot burn hands. In this embodiment,

layers

15 and 16 are secured adjacent the peripheral edge of layer 16 to each other as by sewing, the stitching being illustrated in FIG. 2 by the letter S. This diminishes the thickness of v the fabric rim of the press cover assembly where such is desirable. The return folded portions of the fabric rim are saturated with a suitable adhesive to bond those flange parts in permanently solid relationship with liner flange 14F. The rim Will operate at an even cooler temperature if the adhesive does not permeate the external layers of the rim. The rirn will also retain more of its cushioning characteristics where the adhesive does not permeate the external layers of the rim. Suitable adhesives include silicone rubber types such as Silastic RTV which is available from Dow-Corning Corporation and which is applied by a room temperature vulcanizing process. Also a product known as Silicone Seal that is available from General Electric is suitable for securing the fabric rim. It is adequate that the adhesive be able to withstand a temperature of about 360 F. and the examples given here easily satisfy that requirement.

A fabric rim effect is also provided in the embodiment of FIG. 3 wherein the marginal edges of several of the layers are again return folded about the liner flange and then secured in place by a plurality of double ended fasteners, one such fastener being illustrated in FIG. 3 as a double headed grommet 18 and being disposed in a counter-sunk relation so that substantially only the cooler fabric surfaces are exposed to the likelihood of contact by the operator.

A different type of anchorage is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein the edges of the sheets extend along the liner flange and are gripped thereagainst by means of a number of suitably spaced bent U-clips 19, each pinched into -squeezing engagement upon the composite flange -structure. To minimize heat transmission to the exterior of the rim, the U-clips 19 may be of plastic and may utilize the minimum amount of material to perform their retention function. As such, they may be of a resilient plastic formation similar to a paper clip.

Thus, While preferred constructional features of the invention are embodied in the structure illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary self-supporting laminar press cover assembly including a diffusor plate for diffusing steam, said diffusor plate having flanged periphery, a cushion layer having a knit back face that is locally stretchable and a napped front face that is locally yieldable and conformable and a porous fabric cover sheet overlying the napped front face and presenting a wear resistant protective pressing surface, said diffusor plate, said cushion layer and said porous fabric cover sheet being secured together adjacent their peripheries whereby said press cover assembly may be applied to and removed from a press as an integrated unitary assembly.

2. A laminar press cover assembly in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said diffusor plate is of metal and each of the other of said layers is of nylon.

3. A press plate assembly comprising a porous metal plate having a rearwardly directed flange therearound, a multilayer assembly of porous flexible sheets including a fabric outer cover sheet spanning said plate and having marginal edges some of which are in a return fold relation about said flange, and means securing said marginal edges on said flange to provide a composite flange presenting a fabric rim safe to the touch wherein said means consists of silicone rubber adhesive permeating and rigidifying the marginal edges of at least some of said sheets to mechanically interlock with the plate flange.

4. A press plate assembly comprising a porous metal plate having a rearwardly directed flange therearound, a multilayer assembly of porous flexible sheets including a fabric outer cover sheet spanning said plate and having marginal edges some of which are in a return fold relation about said flange, and means securing said marginal edges on said flange to provide a composite flange presenting a fabric rim safe to the touch wherein said means consists of mechanical fasteners projecting through said plate flange and embedded in said marginal edge portions on each side of said plate flange, the end portions of said mechanical fasteners being countersunk in said fabric rim.

5. A press plate assembly comprising a porous metal plate having a rearwardly directed flange therearound, a multilayer assembly of porous flexible sheets including a fabric outer cover sheet spanning said plate and having marginal edges some of which are in a return fold relation about said flange, and means securing said marginal edges on said flange to provide a composite flange presenting a fabric rim safe to the touch wherein said porous metal plate has rearwardly projecting arch portions dening multidirectionally oriented steam travel passages therethrough, and wherein said multilayer assembly consists of an inner layer of asbestos adjacent said plate and of a loose weave to avoid blockage of said passages, a cushion layer overlying the inner layer and of a nylon flannel having a knit back face that is locally stretchable and a napped front face that is locally yieldable and conformable, and a fine weave outer cover sheet of wear-resistant lubric surface material overlying the cushion layer.

6. A press plate assembly comprising a porous metal plate having a rearwardly directed flange therearound, a multilayer assembly of porous flexible sheets including a fabric outer cover sheet spanning said plate and having marginal edges some of which are in a return fold relation about said flange, and means securing said marginal edges on said flange to provide a composite flange presenting a fabric rim safe to the touch, wherein said porous metal plate has rearwardly projecting arch portions defining steam travel passages therethrough, and said multilayer assembly consists of an inner layer of asbestos adjacent said plate and of a loose weave to avoid blockage of said passages, a cushion layer overlying the inner layer and of a nylon annel having a knit back face that is locally stretchable and a napped front face that is locally yieldable and conformable, and a ne weave outer cover sheet of wear-resistant lubric surface material overlying the cushion layer, and wherein said securing means consists of silicone rubber adhesive permeating and rigidifying the marginal edges of at least some of said sheets to mechanically interlock with the plate ange.

References Cited UNITED ll/l959 STATES PATENTS Johnson 38-66 Young et al. 38-66 Landers et a1. 38-66 Jacobson 38-97 X Behrstock 38-66 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.